'Rashford is playing the best football in his career,' says Solskjær after United win – video

Marcus Rashford graced his 150th Manchester United appearance with a strike he – and those inside Old Trafford – will always remember. Goal No 41 of his career came just before the interval and ensured a seventh win from Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s opening seven matches in charge.

The Norwegian believes Rashford may currently be the Premier League’s finest No 9. “He’s playing the best football of his career,” Solskjær said. “Harry Kane is injured so maybe that gives him the chance to be the best at the moment.”

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Rashford’s winner came after Diogo Dalot moved along the left, drawing two defenders, before playing a clever ball to the 21-year-old. From there Rashford turned on the style: despite a tight angle he made a mug of Pascal Gross, then beat David Button with a sweet curled effort.

Solskjær said: “What a finish. It is great working with him. That was his 150th game – I think he has scored more than a couple of the legends we have so he has a great future ahead of him. The first thing when I met him – he had missed some chances – I said: ‘No problem, you’ll be all right, just settle down a little bit’.”

Solskjær initially named his preferred XI, meaning no changes from the win at Tottenham, but Luke Shaw’s withdrawal due to illness led to Dalot’s inclusion, the Portuguese player slotting in at left-back. Chris Hughton retained the same team that lost to Liverpool last Saturday.

United’s speed of passing and thought dominated a quiet start, with the visitors claiming a corner and not much else. Ashley Young lifted a free-kick straight into the Stretford End, but the captain came close to creating the opener with his next contribution.

A scuffed cross came to Rashford via Gaëtan Bong and his shot was beaten away by Button, the danger eventually ending when Paul Pogba’s subsequent effort was blocked.

This flurry jump-started United. Pogba narrowly missed with an overhead kick, and soon after a Rashford chip came close to beating the visiting goalkeeper.

United stepped on the throttle, Nemanja Matic firing a 30-yard diagonal to Pogba. The midfielder’s first touch swept the ball inside the area and Bong took him down. After a pause the referee, Paul Tierney, pointed to the spot. Up stepped Pogba, with his trademark slow-motion shuffle run-up, to beat Button to the right.

Brighton’s response was to pepper United’s area aerially and the home side just about dealt with it. When Hughton’s side tried some slide-rule stuff they carved a chance for Glenn Murray but the No 9’s attempt was a pea roller that gave David de Gea no cause for concern.

Button needed to be alert when Anthony Martial tried a lob that appeared to have him beaten before he stuck out a glove to keep the score at 1-0. Next came Rashford’s strike and the second half’s opening act also had him taking the lead.

This time he collected the ball down the left, cut in, then hit a dipping cross in that Jesse Lingard should have finished. The Rashford show may well have inspired Martial as he sliced through Brighton and let go an effort that beat Button but landed on the roof of the net.

On the hour Hughton replaced Solly March and Murray with Anthony Knockaert and Florin Andone. As is the way under Solskjær, though, United continued to press. Young won a corner from his cross, took this, and Victor Lindelöf’s header went wide.

Brighton showed backbone by pulling one back: Davy Pröpper’s ball with the outside of his boot was missed by Phil Jones and Gross made no mistake. Despite a nervy finish neither did United in closing the contest out. Rashford took a painful knock from Martín Montoya but was able to continue before being replaced in added time by Matteo Darmian.

If United beat Burnley on Tuesday week it will be their seventh straight league win, and Solskjær will pull ahead of Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola as the manager with the best start to a Premier League tenure.

Solskjær said: “The last 20 minutes we were in trouble. You can’t always play fantasy football. At times we did and it’s a great three points.”